


A Journey to the Stars

by GinnyLily



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 19:34:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5552573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinnyLily/pseuds/GinnyLily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fictional characters aren't real. That's why they are called fictional. That's why all of this can't be real. But what if it is?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Journey to the Stars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [readingravenclaw](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=readingravenclaw).



> My Christmas present for readingravenclaw on tumblr. Enjoy!

You woke up from a strange yet familiar sound. It was still relatively early, the sun had yet to rise and the world looked all grey and foggy. The sound was coming from outside your bedroom window. You blinked a few times, yawned, then sat up. The sound became louder. A chilly breeze coming through the tilted window made you shiver. You must be asleep, dreaming, imagining things; this couldn't really happen! But the sound was still there, so you climbed out of bed and looked outside into the garden. You blinked again and rubbed your eyes. This wasn't real. This couldn't be real. You stared outside in disbelief. 

The sound had faded now and if you weren't staring right at it, you wouldn't believe it. Well, you still didn't. In your garden, right in front of your window, stood an old blue police box. You stared at it for a few more seconds before you decided that you must still be fast asleep and dreaming. Or maybe someone had pulled a prank on you? Your brother, possibly? In that very moment the door of the box opened and a man in his late thirties stepped outside. He was wearing a dark brown suit, a shirt, a tie and a light brown overcoat. His brown hair was ruffled and sticking into every direction. You rubbed your eyes again. Not possible. You were still not sure if this was a very vivid dream or a perfectly pulled prank. But you were sure that this wasn't real. It couldn't be. 

The man had now spotted you standing on your window, staring at him and his blue box.

“Hello!” He waved at you, a big smile on his face. “You must be (Y/N)!” Good prank. But he knew you name, that was the mistake. Or was it a dream?  
The man closed the door behind him and started walking towards your window. He was still smiling and his general posture was joyful. Making his way across the frosty grass he carefully stepped around your mother's now empty flower beds. 

“Hi there, can you hear me?,” he asked, now standing directly in front of you. You were only separated by the thin glass of your window.

“I...is this a prank?,” you finally stumbled and he laughed.

“I don't think so.” He did a 360 and gave you a lopsided smile. “Nope, nobody here besides you and me. Oh, and the TARDIS.” He made a vague gesture towards the blue box. “No hidden cameras.”

You continued staring. “Then...this is a dream.” 

“I don't think so. That would be a rather long dream for me. But, of course, you just got out of bed. I'm sorry, didn't mean to wake you up.”  
Not a prank, not a dream. But of course that's exactly what someone pranking you would say.

“So, you're coming or what?”

“What?”

“No, you're not supposed to pick the 'what' option! You-, ah, doesn't matter. Just come outside.”

“Come outside?”

“Yes,” he nodded and grinned widely.

“I-I'm still in my pyjamas,” you said, unsure of how to respond.

“Well, then get changed, it's cold out here!”

“I- yeah. Okay.” You took one last, long look at the TARDIS and the Doctor before turning around and quickly gathering your clothes from the floor.

“I'll be waiting inside!,” the Doctor called from outside the window.

You quickly got dressed and brushed through your hair before you left your room and tip-toed into the kitchen, where you left a note for your family. _Woke up early, taking a quick walk. Will be home for breakfast._ Well, you didn't know if this was true of course. If this really was the Doctor and he could really travel through time and space using the TARDIS, you could be home for breakfast or dinner. Or you could be home in a week or a year. But then again this wasn't possible. This wasn't real, just a TV show. And besides who said he would even offer you to come with him? And who said you would take that offer?

In the hallway you stepped into your shoes, pulled on your warmest jacket and scarf and quietly left the house. On your way around the house and into the garden the thought of “this is just a prank” was constantly at the back of your mind but you kept walking nevertheless. You didn't believe in magic and you didn't believe that fictional characters could come to life. But if there was just the slightest chance that the Doctor was real, then you had to take it. 

The TARDIS was still there when you walked around the corner. You looked around quickly to check for any hidden cameras, for anything indicating that this was a prank but you couldn't see anything. So you slowly approached the police box and hesitatingly put your hand onto the handle. You could still pull back. You could still back away from what must be a very well planned prank. You could still save yourself from the embarrassment of falling for this joke. But you didn't. You gave the door a gentle push and it opened. When you peeked inside all your doubts were gone. Nobody could pull off something like this, not even your brother. This really was the inside of the TARDIS. It looked just like it did on TV.

“Come in and close the door, would you? It's getting cold in here!”  
You jumped at the sudden sound of the Doctor's voice but did as you were told.

“Welcome to the TARDIS, (Y/N)! It's bigger on the inside.” The Doctor stepped out behind the giant console in the middle of the room. “I am the Doctor, by the way, nice to meet you.” He shook your hand. “Ready now?”

“Ready for what?” You were surprised you still had a voice, even when it was high-pitched and shaky.

The man in front of you chuckled. “To see the stars of course! Really, (Y/N), I thought you knew how this worked.”

A million questions started spinning inside your head. “I- Wha- Bu- Why-why me?” 

“Why you what?”

“Why did you...I-I mean...why are you even...this can't...I haven't...”

“Are you okay?” He looked generally concerned now. “Do you want to sit down? Here, have a seat.” He pulled you towards the stairs. “I know this can be overwhelming at first. But you'll get used to it eventually.”

“I...why are you even here?,” you finally blurted out.

He chuckled again. “Because I believe you wanted to see the stars?”

“Yes but -” This couldn't be happening. You weren't an expert in science but you were pretty sure that time travel wasn't actually possible. And that spaceships didn't exist. And that police boxes weren't bigger on the inside.

“Listen, (Y/N), I've met you; just yesterday – well for me it was yesterday – and you told me you always wanted to see the stars. And that there was this one particular Christmas where you just wished for something good to happen, be it snow or a new episode of your favourite TV show or your mum cooking your favourite meal. Instead you got a ton of rain, a power cut and burned Christmas cookies. So I decided to make this a special day for you. My Christmas present for you is a trip to outer space – if you want to. I promise, I'll return you home safely and not even an hour will have passed here. How does that sound?”

You couldn't help it, you were staring again. This time with tears in your eyes. “That sounds awesome.”

“Great! Let's go then!” The Doctor jumped to his feet and jogged to the console. “Hold on tight, it might get a little crazy now!” And not only a second later you heard the TARDIS sound again and the ship started to shake lightly. Less than a minute later the sound faded away and you were standing still again.

“Come on, let's go and see the stars!” The Doctor grabbed your hand and pulled you towards the door. “Ready?”

“Ready!” He pulled the door open and stepped outside, still holding your hand. “Welcome to the year Seven Million. What you see in front of you is the entire universe with all its planets and stars. Merry Christmas, (Y/N).”

Your jaw dropped and you let go of the Doctor's hand as you stepped towards the giant window in front of you. Outside was something you could only describe as a giant black curtain with millions and millions of little coloured dots on it. This was impossible!   
Big and small circles, bright ones and fading ones, pink, red, blue, yellow, orange, purple and even some green, all fading together, forming new shapes, creating new colours you couldn't name. This was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen.

“Thank you, Doctor,” you whispered breathlessly, your hands pressed to the window on either side of your head, your nose almost touching the cold glass.

He didn't respond but simply stepped next to you, putting one arm around you. Together you stood there for what felt like ages, not talking, just watching. It was a very quiet place and you encountered no disturbances whatsoever.   
After a very long time of just staring at the universe and its entire beauty you eventually looked away and up into the Doctor's face. You must have forgotten to blink for quite a while because you felt your eyes burning and when you finally blinked a few times, tears started building in them.

“Thank you,” you whispered again, trying your best not to cry. “I have never seen something this beautiful in my life before.”

He gave you happy smile and gently flicked a tear from your cheek. “I hope those are happy tears?”

You laughed and he joined in. You felt happier than ever before in your life. “Seriously, thank you. You just made my Christmas ten times better.”

“You're welcome.” He smiled from ear to ear before taking your hand again. “Ready to go back home?”

You looked outside one last time before nodding and following the Doctor to the TARDIS. 

“One last question,” you said quickly, “where are we?”

“Oh, this is an abandoned space ship. No one on here, it's not even working anymore. But the view is great, isn't it?,” the Doctor replied, already standing behind his console. “Would you mind closing the door?”

The ride home wasn't as shaky as the first one. When the TARDIS sound faded away the Doctor walked towards you and stopped only inches away, so you had to tilt your head back to look into his stunningly brown eyes.

“Will I ever see you again?,” you asked, hoping his answer would be yes.

“Well, at least that one time in...exactly fourty-seven years, yes. But maybe I'll come around earlier.” He smiled down at you and you couldn't help but smile back. “Goodbye, Doctor. And thank you.”

“You are very welcome, (Y/N). Merry Christmas!” And then he leaned down to place a quick kiss onto your lips. “Off you go! Your family is waiting!” 

And with one last look back at the Timelord you left the TARDIS just to find yourself back in your garden, heavy raindrops falling down from the sky. When you heard the sound behind you, you ran around the house to the front door as fast as you could. You rang the doorbell and when you realized that it wasn't working you remembered the Doctor talked about a power cut. Under your breath you cursed and started knocking at the door, hoping somebody would hear you. But to your surprise it only took two seconds until the door opened and your mum screamed before she pulled you into a tight hug. 

“(Y/N)! You are okay! God, I was so worried!” She dragged you inside and called into the kitchen: “She is back! She is okay! Oh thank god, you are okay!”

“Mum! What are you doing? I was only gone for an hour!”

“For an hour? Child, it is almost midnight! We found your note and you said you'd be home for breakfast! Where have you been?”

“I...well...” Damn the Doctor! That was typical! He had promised to get you back in time! “I can explain,” you finally said, even when you couldn't. “Let me just put on some dry clothes.”

You spent the rest of Christmas Eve eating burned Christmas Cookies (your mum had been so worried that she forgot to take them out of the oven when you hadn't been home at lunchtime) while sitting in the living room, that was lit by only a few candles, trying to ignore the rain hammering onto the roof and against the windows and telling your family a made-up story about how you got lost and needed ages to find you way back home. It was still the best Christmas you ever had.


End file.
